Japan - A Foreign Place (Kickstarter appeal)

[inkinthewell]

This update is quite interesting:
Excerpt from Chapter 5 'For the art of...'
This was the first tour where the band used tapes.

Jansen had the unenviable task of playing along to a click or percussion part on tape, which in turn was linked to sequencer and Sax parts on reel to reel tape. The rest of the band then played along with Steve. Thus, if Steve missed one beat or dropped a drumstick and stumbled, not just the drum part would suffer but the whole song would skid out of synch. Jansen never did miss a beat.

'No, he never did' says Dean. 'He was great that way. He was like a human metronome. And he didn't even feel pressured, he was confident'.

Barbieri : There were a lot of keyboard parts on Quiet life, Polaroids and (later) Tin Drum. Many of them of a sequential nature.Without the midi programming facility we have today, these patterns and sequences were either played or controlled by analogue step time sequencers. Playing just one of these parts live would mean you couldn't also play all the other elements. Analogue sequencers didn't have memory so couldn't be programmed for the next song in a matter of seconds. We decided to record and put all sequenced or constant keyboard parts on tape.
So things like Life in Tokyo, Quiet Life and Methods of Dance - the sequencer is on tape and that along with a click is going to Steve's monitoring. John Punter had a tape machine at the mixing console and a spare one running in sync (as best could be ) in case there was a problem. Steve would flash a light to let John know when to start the tape for each track.
A few other elements like brass were on tape as well.

Jansen : When we first started using tapes it was very primitive. I still used fold-back wedges to monitor the band and myself, but in the headphones I would have some form of rhythm track (I think it must have been either a rhythm box or a sequencer of some sort) and in the other channel were the various overdubs that would come and go throughout the track - chorus backing vocals, saxes, more sequencers. additional percussion etc. all from the original recordings. These sounds were also sent out front of house for all to hear. Consequently it was important not to miss the start point otherwise certain overdubs intended to enter at a given point would end up appearing in the wrong part of the song. Sometimes it happened and this was usually due to improper vocal entries or solo lengths, in which case I had to try to relay to everyone where we ought to be in the track, and if that failed, just ignore what was in the headphones. It was simple for John (Punter) to dip the fader on the recorded sounds so the audience wouldn’t hear them, and he was very good at recalling all the bar lengths therefore he knew when things were going wrong. It didn’t happen often I have to say. It was a discipline but one I felt was a great challenge and got a kick out of pulling off. (If anyone ever noticed a red light on top of the P.A. system - of course they didn’t - I can explain that was there being triggered by a foot switch near my left foot, and was an indication to John that I could see everyone was ready for him to start rolling the tape).

Soundcheck Vrije University

[billster]

http://www.chaindlk.com/interviews/anth ... biography/

[Quiet Visitor]

http://www.chaindlk.com/interviews/anthony-reynolds-japan-a-foreign-place-a-biography/

Thanks for the link. Nice quotes:

"Anthony: Japan are a niche band. Neither my agent nor a publisher were interested in the idea. I decided I’d rather spend a year writing about Japan for a small amount of money than I would two years writing about Tom Jones for a lot of money – and I like Tom Jones."

"Anthony: This book- hopefully the first of two- Covers 1974-1984. It touches on everything they did within that time frame, as a band and as individuals."

Another book?

[Blemished]

Latest update from Mr Reynolds...and what a lucky fella he is!

Project Update #15: Lost and found

Posted by Anthony Reynolds

A huge Thank you to Mr Barbieri who recently allowed me to hear a number of previously un released Japan songs/Demos/outtakes.

The experience was a waking dream and full details will be in the book - which is now about half finished.

[Quiet Visitor]

Posted by Anthony Reynolds
A huge Thank you to Mr Barbieri who recently allowed me to hear a number of previously un released Japan songs/Demos/outtakes.

Yes, that was a nice email from Anthony. I just wonder why he used the word "previously". Doesn't this mean that those tracks were unreleased in the past?

[inkinthewell]

I just wonder why he used the word "previously".

He corrected that afterwards.
Wouldn't it have been great if he had used "no longer" instead of "previously"?

[Quiet Visitor]

I just wonder why he used the word "previously".

He corrected that afterwards.
Wouldn't it have been great if he had used "no longer" instead of "previously"?

Ha, ha, yeah, I noticed. Looks like Anthony is watching us
But still, I guess we're just a bit jealous. (A bit?? C'mon Anthony, give us some details....)

[karnsculpture]

Anyone who contributed to the kickstarter appeal should have received an update including the address of a closed Facebook group where some details of the unreleased recordings have been shared. The people in the group have been asked to keep quiet about the detail - as contributors they have earned something by having faith enough in the project to fund it.

The good news is that the book will now be on sale through Burning Shed, so everyone will have access to it in time.

If you contributed to the appeal but missed the details of the FB group, log into the kickstarter site and check the updates, the link is there.

[Quiet Visitor]

Thanks for this information, Paul. Maybe I've seen that update, but since I don't participate in any FB-group, I forgot about it immediately. Well, I can wait till the book comes out.

[billster]

http://noisey.vice.com/fr/blog/japan-an ... romantisme

[Chad]

The good news is that the book will now be on sale through Burning Shed, so everyone will have access to it in time.

Dont get me wrong, I love burning shed but their stateside shipping costs are obscene. They need to open a burning shed america office. The sooner the better. Hopefully amazon will offer this too.

[Quiet Visitor]

http://noisey.vice.com/fr/blog/japan-anthony-reynolds-biographie-neo-romantisme

Merci, although my French isn't that good anymore after all these years...

[Quiet Visitor]

The good news is that the book will now be on sale through Burning Shed, so everyone will have access to it in time.

Dont get me wrong, I love burning shed but their stateside shipping costs are obscene. They need to open a burning shed america office. The sooner the better. Hopefully amazon will offer this too.

Maybe they should make a deal with DGM. DGM-stuff is now being sold for Europe through Burning Shed, so the other way around would be an option.

[billster]

English Version -

http://www.anthonyreynolds.net/press/no ... ersion.htm

[Quiet Visitor]

English Version -

http://www.anthonyreynolds.net/press/no ... ersion.htm

Ha, ha, yeah, I should have known. This one only doesn't have those pictures and clips.